One of the applications of fluidic structures is to jet a solution on to another device where a secondary function may be performed. A common secondary function is to vaporize a solution using a heater such that the contents of the solution can be vaporized so as to deliver the solution as a gaseous substance. Applications of such technology include, but are not limited to, metering and vaporizing device for electronic cigarettes, vapor therapy, gaseous pharmaceutical delivery, vapor phase reactions for micro-labs, and the like. In all of these applications, a fluidic ejection head is used to eject fluid onto a heated surface for vaporization of the fluid into a discharge conduit. For some applications, the fluids to be ejected have relatively low vaporization temperatures and thus can evaporate over time through ejection nozzles in the ejection head. For other applications, contamination of the ejection head between uses may be a problem. In some applications, the fluids may leave a residue on the ejection head that will, over time, inhibit the proper ejection of fluid from the ejection head or that may plug the ejection nozzles. Maintaining such devices so that precise fluid ejection is obtained is a problem due to the small size of such devices. Conventional maintenance devices for fluidic ejection heads require a relatively large area for capping and cleaning the ejection heads.
Accordingly, what is needed is an apparatus that can be operated to protect the ejection head when the device is not in use and can be used to clean the ejection head in order to maintain proper ejection of fluid.
In view of the foregoing, embodiments of the disclosure provide an apparatus for a fluidic ejection device and a fluidic ejection device containing the apparatus. The apparatus includes a pivot member having at least a first position and a second position, a shaft attached on a first end thereof to the pivot member and on a second end distal from the first end to a capping structure, wherein pivot of the pivot member pivots the capping structure from a first capped position to a second uncapped position adjacent an ejection head of the fluidic ejection device.
In one embodiment there is provided a fluidic ejection device that includes a fluidic ejection head in fluid flow communication with a fluid reservoir, a heater for vaporizing fluid ejected from the fluidic ejection head, an exit conduit in flow communication from the heater, an ejection head capping structure disposed between the heater and the fluidic ejection head, and a selection device operatively connected to the ejection head capping structure for moving the capping structure from a first capped position to a second uncapped position adjacent the fluidic ejection head.
In another embodiment, the capping structure includes a nozzle cap for capping the ejection head when the pivot member is pivoted to the first capped position.
In other embodiments, the capping structure includes an aperture therein for fluid flow therethrough when the pivot member is pivoted to the second uncapped position and a wiper blade for cleaning the ejection head when the pivot member is pivoted to the first capped position and to the second uncapped position.
In some embodiments, the pivot member is disposed on a vapor exit conduit of the fluidic ejection device. In other embodiments, the capping structure is moved between the first and second positions by a selection device operatively connected to the ejection head capping structure.